Tension-type Headache in the Elderly

Current Pain and Headache Reports 2009, 13:474-478 Current Medicine Group  LLC ISSN 1531-3433 Copyright © 2009 by Current Medicine Group LLC

Sara C. Crystal, MD and Brian M. Grosberg, MD

Corresponding author:
Sara C. Crystal, MD
Department of Neurology, NYU School of Medicine, 462 First Avenue, Suite NBV-7W11, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Email: sara_tarshish@yahoo.com

Tension-type headache (TTH) is the most common type of headache in the general population, including individuals over the age of 65 years. Although the prevalence of migraine decreases markedly with age, TTH has a greater tendency to persist later in life. Less commonly, TTH can present for the first time after the age of 50 years. As the elderly population continues to grow, more patients will be presenting to physicians with headache. Special considerations in this population include the higher prevalence of secondary causes and multiple medical comorbidities. This article presents an update on the epidemiology and prognosis of TTH in the elderly.